[Chapter 80: Temptation of Downfall]
What should a freelance journalist do if his undercover shots didn't turn out well? Hawke would tell him to have the stars redo it; they would take another round of candid footage.
Under his direction, Steve and Wilson went up and down the stairs, chatting in the cafe while Edward took another round of shots.
Everyone returned to the makeshift office, and Edward uploaded the video onto the laptop, quickly making copies.
Hawke approached the laptop and opened two videos for playback. A few people stood behind him to watch. Even Daisy, who was in a wheelchair, had Amanda push her over.
After all the videos played, Hawke directly asked, "Which one do you guys think is better?"
Caroline was the first to speak, saying, "The second shoot is a bit better; it's a complete candid perspective."
Agent Biles agreed, "If we didn't know ahead of time, I'd absolutely think this was a real scoop."
The others chimed in, expressing their agreement.
Hawke replayed the second shoot for a closer look.
Steve whispered, "I performed well, huh? Hey... do you think when I retire, I could learn from Simpson and break into showbiz?"
Daisy exploded, "What, you want to learn how Simpson killed his wife?"
Steve clammed up, and no one could know what else was running through his mind.
Hawke packed up the laptop and handed it to Edward while saying to Caroline, "I'll leave things here to you."
Caroline nodded slightly.
...
Hawke had Edward drove back to Los Angeles.
On the way, he called Megan Taylor, "I just got a huge scoop."
Megan cut straight to the point, saying, "Come to my office."
When the car arrived at Fox Tower, Hawke carried the laptop upstairs, skipping any pleasantries and knocking on Megan's office door directly.
Megan was waiting for him, quickly opening the door and asking, "Can it make the headlines?"
Hawke settled in the guest area, sitting on the couch and opening the laptop. "It's a $150,000 explosive story."
Megan sat beside him, her eyes locked onto the screen.
Hawke clicked open the video, and the shaky oval-shaped footage clearly came from candid shots, with the lens constantly following a figure.
Megan quickly recognized, "Steve Nutt from the Los Angeles Dodgers?"
"That's right," Hawke confirmed.
Megan immediately reacted, "The paper covered it today; his wife Daisy is due to give birth anytime now. You didn't actually get a shot of the baby, did you?"
Hawke casually replied, "I have lines I won't cross; how could I shoot a baby without the guardian's consent?"
Megan turned to scrutinize him for a moment but was quickly drawn back to the video.
The camera panned into the cafe, zeroing in on the table where Steve sat, and another bald Black man appeared on screen.
The two chatted; their voices weren't particularly clear, but the dialogue was distinguishable.
Megan quickly picked out the key points of their conversation: Steve Nutt and Daisy Nutt's newborn was an IVF baby, with the genetic material from the bald Black man -- Steve's teammate Wilson.
This news was undoubtedly explosive, but Megan thought the subsequent conversation was even more impactful.
Steve mentioned that the reason for using Wilson's genetic material, besides his own reasons, was due to the repeated discrimination faced by his Black teammates, including Wilson himself.
The star of the Dodgers wanted to support his teammates, fighting against the persistent shadow of discrimination in sports.
After the video finished, Megan remained silent. She took the mouse from Hawke and replayed it again.
As before, she paused at critical moments, even rewinding some parts for another look.
Once she finished watching, Hawke said, "$150,000 -- totally worth it."
"Definitely worth it," Megan turned to glare at him, "There are no signs of artificial manipulation, but I know your style well. Why is Steve Nutt being so cooperative?"
Hawke calmly replied, "Daisy gave birth to a Black baby. According to her, the father of the child is Steve's teammate Wilson."
Megan quickly pieced things together, "You've leveled up, helping the Nutt couple with PR?"
Hawke neither confirmed nor denied it but said, "You've always wanted to elevate the social depth of entertainment news; I specifically crafted this story for you."
"Should I thank you?" Megan responded without waiting for an answer, "A prominent celebrity couple having a baby but the father is a Black friend? The gossip factor is off the charts; and at the same time, we see the mocked hero showcasing incredible humanity, flipping the narrative unexpectedly; finally raising it to the level of a social issue."
Hawke acknowledged, "That's a very apt summary."
Megan curiously asked, "Which university did you graduate from? Who was your mentor?"
Hawke had a thick skin, replying, "Self-taught."
This was indeed the kind of story Megan wanted, and even knowing it was concocted by the jerk beside her, she wasn't willing to let it go.
Hawke could guess her thoughts: "All the footage and audio are real; these are genuine events."
Having interacted with Megan multiple times, he understood what she needed: "This could spark a media frenzy. You can report on it continuously, including inviting Steve and Daisy along with Wilson to your show."
Megan suddenly grabbed Hawke's arm, "You are like Mephisto, here to tempt people into downfall." She stopped hesitating, "You didn't mention those things to me, but what I saw in the video is exactly what I understand. $150,000 -- I want that video."
Hawke introduced a new condition, saying, "It's provided by West Coast Media Entertainment Studio."
Megan thought for a moment and replied, "Alright."
Hawke extended his hand, "Let's have a pleasant collaboration."
Megan shook his hand and simultaneously proposed another request, "You'll attend the program's meeting so you can add in any new ideas."
Hawke nodded, "No problem."
Megan got up and walked to her desk, picking up the phone and ordering, "Claire, bring the storage drive and the rights transfer agreement to my office. Prepare a check for $150,000. Also, notify all department heads to meet in ten minutes."
Claire quickly arrived in the office.
Hawke copied the video and reviewed agreement signatures.
...
Ten minutes later, he entered the program meeting room with Claire and found the least conspicuous corner to sit in.
The video played once, rendering the meeting room silent. The attendees weren't newbies; they recognized the potential immense value of this news.
The program group operated under Megan's authority: "Tonight, all other news is off; we are focusing solely on the video and its related content. I'm assigning tasks; those responsible need to execute immediately."
She quickly ordered, "Claire, contact the Dodgers; take a broadcast van straight to the team. Find either the team manager or a player, preferably a Black player; I want a live link during the show."
Claire called a cameraman and rushed out of the meeting room.
Megan continued, "Alexander, lead your team to search the Fox archive; find all cases of racial discrimination involving the Dodgers and MLB over the last three years, along with other cases in professional sports leagues. I need the most typical, well-known incidents, preferably with video footage."
A middle-aged man left the room.
Megan looked at a bald man and instructed, "Bill, contact the NAACP; during the program, I want to connect with their Black opinion leaders."
Bill hurriedly exited the meeting room.
Megan addressed a man wearing glasses, saying, "Stephen, draft a narrative shifting from sports gossip to racial discrimination; I need a rough draft in two hours."
Then she turned to Hawke in the corner, "What about you? Anything to say?"
Most people in the program team knew who Hawke was; it was surprising for him to even be invited to the meeting, let alone to be asked for his opinion.
"Just give a brief rundown on what the IVF is about," Hawke suggested, as it was something Edward had thought of, "Many people don't understand."
Megan nodded slightly, instructing someone on her left, "You go gather relevant materials."
The meeting wrapped up quickly, and the team got busy.
...
Hawke picked up the check, said goodbye to Megan, and had Edward drive them back to Orange County.
Before 11 PM, everyone gathered again in the makeshift office to watch Midnight Entertainment.
Thanks to the high ratings following Miller Collins' Milk Gate scandal, many viewers across the country tuned in to the program.
Especially in the Greater Los Angeles area, once the video aired, it caused explosive reactions.
...
In a typical Dodgers fan home, the wife yelled toward the bathroom after seeing the show, "Oh my God! Steve Nutt's kid isn't biologically his; he used teammate Wilson's genetic material to help Daisy have a test-tube baby!"
The husband, who was showering, didn't believe it, replying, "No way? Celebrities often say ridiculous things..."
"Absolutely not false!" the wife insisted, "Steve and Wilson were caught on camera discussing this!"
The bathroom door swung open, and the husband rushed out with a towel wrapped around him, standing in front of the TV and exclaiming, "It really was a candid shot, then it must be true! Oh my God, this is crazy! Have Steve and Wilson lost their minds?"
Just then, his phone rang; it was a friend from the same fan group, who asked right away, "Did you see Steve's story?"
The husband replied, "I did."
"That's explosive!" his friend was fully convinced of the video's authenticity, "Uh, the latest part really flips our understanding; Steve is doing this for the team!"
...
Meanwhile, several Black Dodgers players were called in by the team's Black manager to gather at the club, where they watched Midnight Entertainment together with Claire and a cameraman in a conference room.
Their emotions were like riding a roller coaster -- from initial shock to anger at the repeated discrimination on sports fields, finally culminating in astonishment over Steve's statements.
"I, along with Daisy, as a pure white family, if we can raise a Black child, maybe we can set an example to help you guys!"
In the recorded candid footage, Steve's words came with audio noise but resonated in the ears of every Black person present.
The Black manager maintained his composure, but the players, easily stirred, couldn't contain their excitement upon hearing their star player speak this way.
Two of them even shed tears.
The tallest Black player expressed, "Steve's words weren't just talk; he genuinely means it."
The cameraman had already turned on his camera, capturing the moment.
Midnight Entertainment set up a live video link.
The moved Black players all appeared on the TV screen.
The team manager was very pleased, and the team's reputation skyrocketed.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.